Kabuli Pulao is a much celebrated dish of Afghanistan, known for its fragrant, fluffy rice cooked in a rich broth infused with aromatic spices, browned onions, and a touch of caramelized sugar. Topped with sautéed carrots, almonds, and raisins, this dish is a mouthwatering blend of savory, salty, umami, and sweet flavors.

Kabuli Pulao, Afghan National Dish

The national dish of Afghanistan, Kabuli pulao is a magnificent rice and meat dish. It’s a festive one-pot meal that makes a great centerpiece on the table like Chicken Kabsa, the Arabian chicken and rice.

The defining attributes of Kabuli pulao are the glistening brown colored rice, rich flavors, and a savory taste balanced by the sweetness of carrots and raisins. The meat, typically lamb, is cooked until it is fall-off-the-bone tender, creating a stunning presentation when arranged along with the other vibrant toppings.

I first discovered this delightful dish at a popular Afghan restaurant in Munich called Khorasan. It felt complete on its own but they had served it with a yogurt sauce and a split chickpea-based gravy. Since then I have made this plenty of times and mastered the art of making it, just like the one I had at those fine restaurants.

Afghan rice and meat dish with yogurt sauce.

Why This Recipe

Simple and Authentic: I’ve eliminated the complicated steps I came across during my recipe research and streamlined it without sacrificing its originality. This recipe still retains all the elements of a classic Kabuli pulao for a traditional taste.
Festive and Versatile: Kabuli pulao looks and tastes rich. Its a special occasion meal that appeals to a wide variety of tastes. Although lamb is my favorite meat for Kabuli pulao, other meats or vegetarian options can be used.
Make-Ahead Friendly: You can make the spice mix, toppings, and even cook the meat the day ahead. Complete the assembly in a short time on the next day.

Key Ingredient and Prep Notes

Char Masala: Char means “four”, so the idea is that this spice blend combines four spices - black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. But this blend often includes more than four spices, like I’ve added cumin and green cardamom.
Black Cardamom: It looks like a bigger cardamom pod that is darker in color but has its own distinct, smoky and deep flavor.
Shahjeera: I often substitute half of the cumin seeds with this spice. It is labeled as black caraway seeds or black cumin seeds in Indian stores. They look like curved cumin seeds, are darker and have a smoky flavor.
Shredded Carrots: These add flavor, color and taste. Readymade shredded carrots are also available.
Raisins: These add bursts of sweetness.
Almonds: For a nice crunch, visual appeal and richness. I prefer to keep the peeled almonds whole for a sumptuous mouthfeel.
Meat: I prefer bone-in lamb shanks cut into 3-inch pieces, which is also more traditional. Bones add more flavor to the dish. Substitute with beef, veal, goat or chicken leg quarters; adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Stock: Because we use meat with bones, it will give us a rich flavor, but you can use stock as cooking liquid to further enhance the umami flavor.
Rice: I use aromatic long-grain basmati rice (Royal chefs secret brand). Some people use Sella basmati rice, a rice that has been parboiled and partially cooked before milling. It remains firm and doesn’t become mushy. If using this rice, follow package instructions for water-to-rice ratio and cooking time.
Onions: Regular yellow onions will work. But you can also try sweet vidalia onions, which will caramelize beautifully adding hints of sweetness.
Cooking oil: I use avocado oil, but sesame oil also works great, as it adds a lovely nutty taste to the rice.

Step by Step Visual Overview

Here are step-by-step photos showing how to make Kabuli pulao. Full printable recipe with measurements are below at the end of the blog post.

Prepare the Rice and Spice Mix: Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Blend spices to make the char masala.

Sauté Toppings: Lightly brown the almonds, plump the raisins, and soften the carrots in oil.

Cook Onions and Meat: Sauté onions until golden brown. Sear the lamb shanks until golden brown. Combine with sauteed onions. Add garlic, char masala, salt, black pepper, and water. Boil, reduce heat, then simmer until the meat is tender.

Cooking the meat with onions and spices.

Caramel Sauce: Caramelize some sugar, add water, melt the caramelized sugar until dissolved.

Assemble and Cook: Remove meat to a plate. Measure stock and return 3 cups to the cooking pot. Adjust salt and seasonings. Add rice, cooked meat, remaining char masala, cover and simmer until the stock is absorbed. Top with caramel sauce, most of the shredded carrots and raisins. Cover and cook until the rice is fluffy.

Final Touches: Remove from heat, let it rest few minutes. Fluff the rice and top with the remaining carrots, raisins and almonds before serving.

My Top Tips

Optimal browning: A key flavor element is the browning of onions, sugar and meat. Make sure to do that optimally. The flavor from all of these browned ingredients is what contributes to the appeal and taste of Kabuli pulao.
Cooking Liquid: The amount of stock added back to the pot should be adjusted based on the age of basmati rice.
Equipment: I use a cast iron casserole dish. The thick bottom and material is useful for browning the meat and sautéing the onions in the same dish. For cooking larger amounts, you can use a dutch oven.

How To Serve

Traditional Style: Serve on a large platter. First plate the rice and meat, placing some bone-in meat on the top. Garnish with shredded carrots, raisins, and almonds. Pair it with yogurt sauce and a salad, such as Shirazi salad.

Side Dishes: Try it with mast-o-khiar (Persian yogurt cucumber salad). Add some flatbreads and pickles.

Overhead view of Afghanistan's national dish on the table.

Variations

Kabuli pulao is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and soy free.

Vegan/Vegetarian Option: Replace the meat with seared tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, and/or shiitake mushrooms. Use vegetable stock instead of meat stock.

Nutritional Notes

Kabuli pulao is a rich and sumptuous feast. Save it for special occasions. For regular days, add some green salads, vegetable sides such as warm potato salad or Moroccan eggplant . Use smaller portions of the pulao, filling up your plate with the vegetarian sides.

Kabuli pulao topped with shredded carrots, almonds and raisins.

More Rice Recipes

Lamb Biryani (Hyderabadi Style)
Zereshk Polo (serve with Saffron Chicken)
Baghali Polo (serve with Lamb Shanks)

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Kabuli Pulao (Afghan Rice)